Solutions to MACtion low attendance issues: Zips playing home games in ... Florida?

Miami Adjacent
21

$7m-$9m per school minumum😳. That would be great. I doubt it

22

You won’t know until you ask. As Chuck Drake used to say, “Take a chance, Custer did!”

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23

I believe the SBC’s new TV deal with ESPN (post expansion) nets each school approximately $2m/year.

So I would like to think the next MAC deal will get each school about the same, or maybe even a bit more come 2025-2026.

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24

I saw Ohio recently legalized pot but didn’t realize it would have such an impact so quickly in creating delusion.

The MAC was the first to commercialize itself with mid week games. And that’s what has essentially become our football brand.

I can’t imagine we have many eyes on our Saturday CBS or ESPN games in September or October -going against P5 broadcasts. Off ESPN with an independent subscription-only streaming situation we’d have as much visibility in the football world as NCHC hockey. It’s imperative the MAC makes it easy and cheap for football fans to watch.

And don’t look now. But almost everyone is playing some games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays these days.

25

Play indoors at the State Fair coliseum like whatever pro league plays indoors. :wink:

and yes, I’m kidding.

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26

How was attendance before the MACtion contract?

27

On the other hand, C-USA is getting 750-800k per school annually, and we’re a lot closer to CUSA than the Sun Belt.

The MAC should be willing to talk to anyone willing to pay to broadcast college sports. Realistically ESPN is the biggest player in that space, and getting a few extra thousand isn’t worth losing linear tv access. We aren’t the NFL where the nation will follow us to the streaming site.

This is an interesting way to say you expect Argentinian level inflation for the next couple of years, because any other interpretation of this as serious is absurd. That was the type of money the AAC was getting before a quarter of them left for the P5. The MAC will not be making that.

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28

What if at every home game, one student in attendance received a $10k scholarship?

Since the students already get in free it wouldn’t necessarily increase ticket sales, but it would create a positive reason to attend every game. This would improve the overall fan atmosphere, and some of those students (who have now made a habit of attending football games) would attend more games as alums.

29

I think it was Coach Haywood who offered $5000 out of his pocket to the fraternity or sorority that had the most students at a game, didn’t work, they all mostly stayed uptown or their house drinking.

30

I know the first impulse is always to throw money at the problem but you can look back in the Buffalo thread to read my full 5 paragraph essay on why that won’t work.

Students today care so much more about the atmosphere and the event being the “hot” place to be than the chance at winning free money or any other giveaway. I mean hell, they do free money with the Rodger’s Rewards and we see how much that has helped.

31

Would be kinda smart for the G5 schools to form an OPEC-type cartel and just say “$1M per school, per game on a weeknight”.

What’s the alternative to a MAC-tion type broadcast? “Great Moments of the New York City Marathon”?

32

If I were Mister Rogers, I would take my money from Rogers rewards and pump it into NIL. Use that NIL money to recruit and retain top talent. Consistently win and more of the non-athlete students will show up.

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33

Take the 10k and offer free beers for 21+ students (2-3 max per game to avoid anything too crazy at the game) and you’d see higher attendance than from a scholarship imo.

On a slightly more realistic front, I’ve long thought that running regular shuttles for the games would help with student attendance. I personally don’t mind a nice walk in Oxford or on Miami’s campus but for those on the edge about going or not, a hour round trip walk could be the deciding factor.

34

Toledo has no “Uptown” to compete with,either

35

Oxford: A Drinking Town with a Football Problem

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36

Perhaps Miami should start a new halftime tradition: The RedHawk Toke. At halftime, we play Bob Marley over the speakers, and have everyone light up their ganja, shut off the Marley, and everyone sings the fight song!

37

I remember playing a home Saturday at the same time as Michigan vs Ohio State in late November with 5 or 6,000 in attendance.

38

Legal there now, Mon. You might be onto something.

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39

Dick is on the money. I am sorry to say that Saturday games in November were not and would not be, nearly as well attended as many on this board believe.

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40

The dreaded UCF game in 2002. I was there, ugh.

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